Below are the pics from my trip to Bali, Indonesia - I will mention that I went there in August of 2001, and spent some time at the very club which was bomb years later - what a shame.  I went to Bali for vacation after I finished my project in Malaysia.  Bali has a very rich culture, and is the only island in Indonesia that is primarily Hindu in its philosophy.  In Bali, they bless everything - the homes, the cars, the planes, blessings, blessings, and more blessings.  It is quite beautiful since there are flowers all over the place after they finish their blessings.  Let's just say that the flower business is in good shape.  They also make a lot of bouquets with origami shapes made out of grass, and other materials.  All the kids in school learn how to do this - in essence, they all learn how to be artists.  I really liked this about Bali - the creativity and love of the place was very apparent, and you feel it right away.

In Bali, they do a ritual dance every morning and every night.  The first series of pics are from the morning dance called the Barong which depicts the slaying of the demon Randga, and protecting the king and the community from his evil spell.  The Barong is the good demon who cloaks the warriors with protective spells that don't allow daggers to penetrate while they fight Randga.  You will see these demons in the pics below - the Barong is the one which has two guys inside.  There are many other demons in the dance, but I don't remember their names.  Also notice the stone work in the background - this dance is performed at a very old temple.  I wish I had gotten a wider shot so you could see the extent of the stone detail.  It was quite amazing

The night time dance they do is called the Kecak (sounds more like Kachuck), and takes place at the temple by the sea as it's called.  They usually have anywhere from 10 to 50 men who make up the chorus of the Kecak .  They start with a slow hypnotic rhythm, and slowly build up into an intense chorus.  Groups of men chant the Kecak word at different times creating a complex poly-rhythm.  Some of the others are soloing over this rhythm.  During this chanting, dancers come in to perform the ritual.  The Kecak Dance tells the Indian story of Ramayana.  Rama, a warrior and rightful heir to the throne of Ayodya, is exiled with his wife Sita to a faraway desert.  There, an evil king spies Sita, falls in love with her, and sends a golden deer to lure Rama away.  Sita is captured, and Rama rounds up his armies to defeat those of the evil king and rescue her.  Rama is the man (played by a woman here) in green, and the golden deer is in yellow.  It is quite impressive.  Make sure to check out the pics of the monkeys who hang out around the temple.  They look cute, but they are quite mischievous, and will take things from you.  One guy was wearing a handkerchief on his head, and the monkeys grabbed it.  He then spent the next 15 minutes bartering with them with food until they finally felt like they gotten their fill, and gave it back.  It was quite comical - I hung on to my stuff carefully.

You will also notice the pics of the Besakih Temple which is over 1000 years old, and is built on the slope of the great volcano Mt. Agung (you can see pics at the bottom of the creator from the airplane as I was leaving the island).  The thatch structures are incredible and mystical against the background of the rice terracing, and lush landscape.  This one of the main places where the Brahmans still go to pray.  Just to be in a place that has been around for 1000 years is indescribable.  You get the sense of a great collective wisdom there.  On the way back from the temple, we visited the old congress, or floating court as it is called.  This is were they use to meet in the old days.  I met my friend Jon from San Francisco on this trip (We are still in contact today, and there is a pic of his girlfriend in front of the structure.  I also met a nice family from Germany at my hotel.  They consist of a German guy who married a Chinese Indonesian woman, and had a beautiful family.  I have been to their house in Germany, and they have also visited my old home in California before I moved.  They told me that I am part of their family, and I am very honored by that gesture.  It's amazing the people you meet while traveling who you would not have had the chance to meet otherwise.  Some of my best friends in the world are from the countries I have visited.  I hope you enjoy the pics...